Nisha Cantor and Sam Kemp are two very different women.
Nisha, 45, lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband inexplicably cuts her off entirely. She doesn’t even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in.
That’s because Sam – 47, middle-aged, struggling to keep herself and her family afloat – has accidentally taken Nisha’s gym bag. Now, Nisha’s got nothing. And Sam’s walking tall with shoes that catch eyes – and give her career an unexpected boost.
Except Nisha wants her life back – and she’ll start with her shoes…
This is the brand-new novel from Jojo Moyes, the international, number one bestselling phenomenon and author of Me Before You and The Giver of Stars – which our Preview readers loved!
I’m a huge fan of Me Before You and its sequel After You, so I was eagerly awaiting the release of this book – and boy, did it deliver! Moyes clearly has a flair for providing readers with very different kinds of books that, at their core, are all realistic and accessible.
Someone Else’s Shoes follows the unlikely collision of two women, and how each of their messy, complicated lives make for a hilarious yet highly relatable read.
Sam is doing it tough. She’s a diligent sales representative with a supervisor who’s determined to fire her. Her husband has recently lost both his father and job and, as a result, has fallen into a deep depression. And now, she’s juggling being the sole breadwinner of her family while also meeting the ongoing demands and requests of her elderly parents.
And then you have Nisha, your typical trophy wife: gorgeous and insanely rich with a husband who cares too little – and now he’s divorcing her and has stripped her of everything they own. Cut off, trying to navigate life in a way she’s not used to, Nisha’s only hope is her red Christian Louboutin shoes. That is, until Nisha and Sam pick up each other’s gym bags… and so ensues the collision of two unlikely lives, with a pair red shoes that hold the key to everything. It’s an unusual premise, perfectly rendered.
Told in multiple POVs, Moyes delivers a host of beautifully drawn, strong characters who are realistically flawed. At the forefront are Sam and Nisha, two fantastic middle-aged protagonists who experience very raw and authentic highs and lows. There are also a range of supporting characters who shine in their own, necessary way – Andrea, Jasmine and Phil were standouts for me.
From menopause and mental health to the power of female friendships, this novel has so much to offer for every kind of reader. This story brims with humour but also deals with important issues including marital complexities, inevitable ageing, work life pressures, loneliness and female invisibility – particularly among middle-aged women.
Someone Else’s Shoes is a story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances. By the end of it, I didn’t want to leave Sam and Nisha’s world, but Moyes wraps up the novel in a beautiful and gratifying way. A must-add to your TBR list.
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